Fauci Faces Criminal Referral Over Pardon Controversy Involving Biden’s Autopen – GOP Demands DOJ Probe
Republicans are turning up the heat on Dr. Anthony Fauci following a shocking revelation that his pardon from former President Joe Biden may have been issued via autopen — an automatic signature device. U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) confirmed Monday that he’s filing a criminal referral to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging the Department of Justice to investigate whether Fauci unlawfully received protection from prosecution during Biden’s final days in office.
The scandal stems from a New York Times exposé detailing how White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients approved a series of last-minute pardons using Biden’s autopen, including those for Fauci and former January 6 Committee members like Liz Cheney. Critics argue that bypassing Biden’s physical signature could undermine the legal legitimacy of the pardons — and some legal scholars agree this area of executive power remains murky.
“I authorize the use of the autopen for the execution of all of the following pardons,” Zients reportedly stated in an internal email, giving the green light just days before Biden officially stepped down from his reelection campaign due to mental fitness concerns.
Former President Donald Trump has already responded to the controversy, calling the pardons a “disgrace” and encouraging Republicans to challenge the legality of any pardon executed through mechanical means.
Trump allies have also been quick to act. Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and other House Republicans are calling for a full investigation, while Trump Jr. challenged Fauci directly, saying, “If he did nothing wrong, he should be a man and decline it… but you know he won’t.”
For his part, Fauci maintains he’s innocent. “Let me be unequivocally clear: I have committed no crime,” he told Politico in January. Yet, he also admitted that the public pressure and threats of criminal referrals have caused “immeasurable distress” for him and his family.
The bigger issue for critics is the timing and process of the pardon — especially since the Biden administration, according to insiders, processed many final documents through the autopen while shielding Biden from rigorous mental stress. Aides admitted they skipped resubmitting documents for review and defaulted to the device for speed and optics.
Republicans claim this opens a dangerous precedent — one where pardons could be issued without direct presidential involvement. They also accuse Fauci of leveraging insider influence to shield himself from potential prosecution related to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Wuhan lab leak theory.
Fauci’s former NIH subordinates have also come under fire, with email records revealing internal efforts to evade FOIA requests — a potential violation of federal transparency laws. Add to that a $5 million book deal post-retirement, and it’s clear why critics are raising red flags.
This latest criminal referral marks a sharp escalation in GOP efforts to hold the former top health official accountable — and could become a major issue heading into 2026 if legal challenges proceed.
